PC card frame kit and PC card

ABSTRACT

A PC card frame kit includes an insulating frame holder (4, 5) for supporting a board assembly; a pair of metal panels (10, 11) able to be joined together for completely covering upper and lower sides of the board assembly; engaging members (12A, 13A, 10A; 14A, 15A, 16A) for preventing separation of the metal panels; and resilient members (6E, 8E) for biasing the metal panels in opposite directions to minimize play of the metal panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to frame kits for PC cards and assembledPC cards.

2. Description of the Related Art

Japanese patent application Kokai No. 309517/94 discloses a frame kit ofthis type and a PC card.

FIG. 10 shows such a PC card 50 which includes an upper cover member 51,a lower cover member 52, a frame 53, and a memory card (circuit board)54. The upper and lower cover members 51 and 52 are made by bending andforming a metal sheet such that the upper cover member 51 has an endportion 51A and side portions 51B with a C-shaped cross-section and thelower cover member 52 has an end portion 52A molded in the frame 53. Theframe 53 has a shoulder 53A for supporting the memory card 54 and arounded engaging projection 53B.

As shown in FIG. 11, the memory card 54 is mounted on the shoulder 53Aof the frame 53, and the cover member 51 is joined with the frame 53.The rounded engaging projection 53B facilitates the cover member 51 tosnap the frame 53 to shield the memory card 54 on all sides. The leadingedge of the C-shaped end portion 51A is brought into contact with theend portion 52A of the lower cover member 52 for electrically connectingboth of the cover members 51 and 52.

In general, formed parts have dimensional errors. Especially, the covermembers 51 and 52 made by bending and forming have relatively largeerrors in the direction of thickness of the PC card. Consequently, thePC card wherein the upper cover 51 merely snaps the frame 53 at theengaging end 53B can permit large play of the upper and lower covermembers 51 and 52.

Such large play makes the user uncomfortable and permits the upper andlower cover members to readily separate when the PC card is dropped, forexample, and unstable the electrical connection between the upper andlower cover members.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a PC card framekit and a PC card wherein the upper and lower cover members (panels) areconnected reliably mechanically and electrically.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a PC cardframe kit which includes an insulating frame holder for supporting aboard assembly; a pair of metal panels able to be joined together forcompletely covering upper and lower sides of the board assembly;engaging members for preventing separation of the metal panels; andresilient members for biasing the metal panels in opposite directions tominimize play of the metal panels.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a PC cardwhich includes the above frame kit and a board assembly incorporated inthe frame holder by joining the panels together.

The metal panels are biased by the resilient members in oppositedirections so that not only play of the metal panels is minimized butalso the electrical connection is stabilized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a PC card according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the PC card wherein connectorsare attached to a circuit board and front and rear frames areincorporated in a lower panel;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the PC card assembled exceptfor an upper panel;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the completed PC card;

FIGS. 5-7 are sectional views showing how to connect engaging members;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a PC card according to anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the PC card of FIG. 8 underconditions corresponding to those of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is an exploded sectional view of part of a conventional PC card;and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the part of the assembled PC card of FIG.10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIG. 1, a circuit board (memory card) 1 has a pair of cutouts 1A and1B at the front and rear ends for receiving connectors 2 and 3.

A plurality of contact elements 2A or 3A are provided through theconnector 2 or 3 and connected at one end to the correspondingconductors of the circuit board 1 and are able to be connected at theother end to other equipment. A pair of attaching sections 2B or 3Bextend outwardly from opposite sides of the connector 2 or 3 and aresecured to opposite edges of the cutout 1A or 1B with fasteners, such asscrews. The circuit board 1 and the attached connectors 2 and 3constitute a board assembly.

A front frame 4 and a rear frame 5 constitute a frame holder to supportthe board assembly. The front frame 4 has an H-shaped form while therear frame has a C-shaped form as viewed from top.

The front frame 4 has a pair of side beams 6 and a lateral beam 7 forlinking the side beams 6. The side beams 6 have a guide face 6A on theirinner side for guiding the circuit board 1 and a support projection 6Bfor supporting the circuit board 1. A slot 6C is provided on an insideend of each side beam 6 to form an upper flexible arm 6D which has aresilient projection 6E on its tip. A lower arm 6F has an outsideprojection 6G on its outer side. A slit 6H is provided through anoutside end of each side beam 6.

The upper surface of the lateral beam 7 is set below the upper surfacesof the side beams 6 to form guide recesses 7A on the sides of thelateral beam 7 and the side beams 6 for receiving attaching sections 2Bof the connector 2.

The rear frame 5 also has a pair of parallel side beams 8 and a lateralbeam 9 for linking the side beams 8. Similarly to the side beams 6, theside beams 8 of the rear frame 5 have a guide face 8A, a supportprojection 8B, a slot 8C, a flexible arm 8D, resilient projection 8E, alower arm 8F, and an outside projection 8G. The middle portion of thelateral beam 9 is depressed to form a pair of guide recesses 9A forreceiving protruded sections 3B of the connector 3. A pair of slits 9Hare provided through the side beams 8 adjacent to the lateral beam 9.

Upper and lower panels 10 and 11 constitute a metal shell. The upperpanel 10 is substantially flat and side edges bent downwardly to provideupper major side faces 12 and a pair of upper minor side faces 13 onopposite sides of each upper major side face 12. Three major engagingtabs 12A are provided on each upper major side face 12 while a minorengaging tab 13A is provided on each upper minor side face 13. Theseengaging tabs extend diagonally upwardly and outwardly.

The lower panel 11 is also substantially flat and has side and an endedges bent upwardly to provide lower major side faces 14 and a pair oflower minor side faces 15 on opposite sides of each lower major sideface 14 and a lower end face 16. The edges 14A of the lower major sidefaces 14 are bent inwardly while the lower minor side faces 15 areprovided with square engaging hole 15A. The upper edge 16A of the endface 16 is also bent inwardly. The major engaging tabs 12A of the upperpanel 10 and the upper edge 14A of the lower panel 11, the minorengaging tabs 13A of the upper panel 10 and the engaging holes 15A ofthe lower panel 11, and the lateral beam 9 of the rear frame 5 and upperedges 16A of the lower panel 11 engage each other to provide threeseparation preventive means.

A part of one of the lower major side faces 14 is cut and bent inwardlyto form a contact piece 17 which extends diagonally upwardly.

A set of the front and rear frames 4 and 5, and the upper and lowerpanels 10 and 11 is traded as a frame kit for PC card, and the userassembles the connectors 2 and 3 and the circuit board 1 to form a boardassembly and then the board assembly and the frame kit to provide a PCcard.

How to assemble the PC card will be described with respect to FIGS. 2-7.

(1) As shown in FIG. 2, the connectors 2 and 3 are attached to the frontand rear ends of the circuit board 1 to provide a board assembly.

(2) The front and rear frames 4 and 5 are fitted in the lower panel 11such that the lower minor side faces 15 are fitted into the slits 6H and9H of the front and rear frames 4 and 5 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Theslits 6H and 9H are dimensioned approximately twice the thickness of thelower minor side faces 15 so that there are still spaces inside theslits 6H and 9H (see FIG. 6). The lower major side faces 14 and thelower end face 16 are opposed to the front and rear frames 4 and 5 suchthat there are provided spaces between the lower side faces 14 of thelower panel 11 and the side beams 6 and 8 of the front and rear frames 4and 5 by means of the outside projections 6G and 8G, respectively. Thespaces are made sufficiently large to accommodate the major engagingpieces 12A of the upper panel 10 without deformation. When the front andrear frames 4 and 5 are fitted in the lower panel 11, the resilientprojections 6E and 8E on the front and rear frames 4 and 5 projectslightly beyond the upper edge of the lower side faces 14 of the lowerpanel 11.

(3) As shown in FIG. 3, the board assembly is mounted on the front andrear frames 4 and 5 such that the connectors 2 and 3 are disposed on theupper face 7A of the lateral beam 7 and the depression 9A of the lateralbeam 9, respectively, while the circuit board 1 is supported by thesupport projections 6B and 8B of the front and rear frames 4 and 5,respectively. The resilient projections 6E and 8E of the front and rearframes 4 and 5 project upwardly beyond the circuit board 1 with thespaces from the lower major side faces 14 of the lower panel 11 producedby the side projections 6G and 8G. The contact piece 17 of the lowerpanel 11 is brought into contact with a ground section of the circuitboard 1.

(4) As shown in FIG. 7, the upper panel 10 is joined with the lowerpanel 11 to complete a PC card by fitting the upper minor side faces 13in the remaining spaces of the slits 6H and 9H so that the minorengaging pieces 13A engage the engaging holes 15A of the lower panel 11while the upper engaging pieces 12A and an edge 10A of the upper panel10 engage the upper edges 14A and 16A of the lower panel 11. When theupper and lower panels 10 and 11 are joined together, the upper panel 10is biased upwardly by the resilient projections 6E and 8E of the frontand rear frames 4 and 5 so that there is no play of the upper and lowerpanels 10 and 11. Escape notches 18 are provided in the upper major sidefaces 12 at positions corresponding to the projections 6G and 8G of thefront and rear frames 4 and 5 to permit the connection of the upper andlower panels 10 and 11 without difficulty.

Alternatively, the resilient projections of the front and rear framesmay be replaced by those of the lower panel as shown in FIGS. 9-10.

In FIG. 9, a pair of resilient arms 21 are provided in the lower majorside faces 14 such that when the upper and lower panels 10 and 11 areput together, they push upwardly the upper panel 10. The upper engagingpieces 12A and the edge 10A of the upper panel 10 and the upper edge 14Aand 16A of the lower panel 11 are reversed with respect to those of theabove embodiment.

The conditions of this embodiment corresponding to those of FIG. 2 isshown in FIG. 10.

As has been described above, according to the invention, the upper andlower panels are biased with the resilient members in oppositedirections so as to not only eliminate play of the panels and separationof the panels when the PC card is dropped but also stabilize theelectrical connection between the panels thereby increasing thereliability of the PC card.

What is claimed is:
 1. A PC card frame kit comprising:an insulatingfront frame and an insulating rear frame constitute a frame holder forsupporting a board assembly; a pair of upper and lower metal panels ableto be joined together for completely covering upper and lower sides ofsaid board assembly; engaging means for preventing separation of saidmetal panels; and each of said frames has a pair of side beams and alateral beam for linking said side beams, wherein a slot is provided onan inside end of each said side beams to form an upper flexible arm anda lower arm, each of said upper flexible arms for biasing said metalpanels in opposite directions to minimize play of said metal panels. 2.A PC card frame kit according to claim 1, wherein said arms areaccommodated in spaces defined by opposed side walls of one of saidmetal panels and said inside ends of said side beams of said frameholder so as to bias the other metal panel in a direction of separationof these metal panels.
 3. A PC card comprising:a frame kit of claim 1;and said board assembly put in said frame holder, with said upper andlower metal panels joined together so that said upper flexible arms biassaid metal panels in opposite directions to minimize play of said metalpanels.
 4. A PC card according to claim 3, wherein said engaging meansis accommodated in spaces defined by opposed side walls of one of saidmetal panels and said side beams of said frame holder so as to not onlyassure said joint between said metal panels but also keep dirt and dustfrom entering said PC card.